Food-Induced Eosinophilic Proctocolitis

Food-induced eosinophilic proctocolitis appears in the first 2 months of life with blood-tinged stools. Aside from occasional apparent pain on defecation and a few infants with moderate eczema, systemic features are absent. Indeed, aside from the diaper, the infant is generally described as well. Thus, in contrast to the infant with enterocolitis, features such as emesis, failure to thrive, significant anemia, and dramatic diarrhea are not seen. In contrast to infants with the other food-induced inflammatory diseases of the bowel, most symptomatic infants are exclusively breast fed. Proctoscopic examination reveals focal erythema, erosions, and/or the nodularity of lymphoid nodular hyperplasia of the rectosigmoid. Biopsies of the rectum and lower sigmoid reveal a characteristic infiltration of the mucosa and lamina propria with eosinophils, usually in excess of 6 to 10 per high powered field. Elimination of the offending protein from the diet of the infant, through use of an extensively hydrolyzed casein-based formula or the elimination of the protein from the diet of the mother of the breast-feeding infant, leads to clinical resolution of the bleeding within 72 to 96 hours. By 1 year of age the infants routinely tolerate an unrestricted diet, and the long term prognosis is excellent.